sample critical challenge doing our share

Sample Critical ChallengeDoing our share

I Can Make a DifferenceTaken from

© 2006 The Critical Thinking Consortium. Permission granted to duplicate the blackline masters (i.e., briefing sheets, data charts, documents, assessment rubrics) for individual classroom use only. Duplication of the suggested teaching activities or use of the blackline masters for other purposes are not permitted without prior written permission from The Critical Thinking Consortium.

AuthorsCarole Ford, Julie Ashlee, Tami McDiarmid, Nicki Frew, Dorothy Fultz, Rita Manzo, Trish MusselleEditorsMary Abbott, Roland Case, Jan Nicol

In this two-part challenge, students explore the equitable allocation of household or classroom jobs. Students listen to a story, Piggybook by Anthony Browne, where the mother is responsible for all household chores. After discussing the unfairness of this situation, students list jobs done at home and develop criteria for assigning responsibility for these jobs. In the first critical challenge, students use these criteria to allocate jobs in an imaginary family or in their own family. The second challenge invites students to decide on a new job they will undertake at home or at school. A week or so after assuming their new tasks, students report on their experiences and receive a note of appreciation for their efforts.

Synopsis

The Critical Thinking ConsortiumEducation BuildingUniversity of British Columbia6365 Biological Sciences RoadVancouver, BC V6T 1Z4604.822.9297 (p) 604.822.6603 (f)[email protected] www.tc2.ca

I Can Make a Difference 1 The Critical Thinking Cooperative

Overview

Criticaltasks

Requisitetools

Broadunderstanding

Critical Challenge

Doing our share

A. Determine how household jobs could best be shared among fiveimaginary (or actual) family members.

B. Decide on a household (or classroom) job that would be mostappropriate for you to do.

In this two-part challenge, students explore the equitable allocationof household or classroom jobs. Students listen to a story, Piggybookby Anthony Browne, where the mother is responsible for all householdchores. After discussing the unfairness of this situation, students listjobs done at home and develop criteria for assigning responsibilityfor these jobs. In the first critical challenge, students use these criteriato allocate jobs in an imaginary family or in their own family. Thesecond challenge invites students to decide on a new job they willundertake at home or at school. A week or so after assuming theirnew tasks, students report on their experiences and receive a note ofappreciation for their efforts.

All members share responsibility for maintaining a family orclassroom community. Fairness is an important consideration indetermining how jobs should be allocated.

Background knowledge

• knowledge of household or classroom tasks• knowledge of abilities of family members

Criteria for judgment

• criteria for sharing workload (e.g., fair, able to do, safe)

Critical thinking vocabulary

Thinking strategies

• data chart

Habits of mind

• fair-mindedness

Objectives

AA


Suggested ActivitiesPre-planning

➤ We recommend using the book Piggybook by Anthony Browne tointroduce this challenge (see References). It tells of a family where themother does all the household jobs and works outside of the home,while the father and two sons, who see themselves as very importantpeople, contribute nothing. After mother leaves home, the father andsons find themselves unable to look after themselves, finally becom-ing aware of their unfairness to the mother. When the mother returns,all members share in the family responsibilities. If this book is notreadily available, you may choose to use another book with a similartheme to introduce the challenge.

Session One

➤ Before reading the story Piggybook, ask students what it means to givesomeone a piggyback (carry them on your back). Do students think itis easy to give a piggyback to a large person or to a few people at onetime? Display the book cover. Invite students to describe the scene.(The mother is carrying the father and two sons on her back; illustra-tions inside the book portray the family turning into “pigs” aftermother leaves and returning to humans when the uneven workload isresolved). Ask students what is unusual about the cover picture. Whatmight it mean that the mother is carrying everyone on her back? Whymight this be a problem? Explain to students that they are going tolearn about the problem and how the mother solved it. Read the storyto the class.

➤ After reading the story, ask students if mother really carried father andthe two children on her back. Invite students to discuss why the authorhas shown mother carrying her family on her back. Clarify that every-one understands why the mother left. Discuss whether it was fair thatthe mother carried such a heavy load of the family chores.

➤ Re-read the story to assist the class in compiling a list of all thehousehold jobs mentioned. After creating the list, write the names ofthe family members in the story across the top to create a chart such asthe one indicated on the following page. Invite students to identifywhich jobs were completed by each family member after the motherreturned. Place check marks in the appropriate columns. Ask studentswhether the sharing of workload in the Piggott family was better at thebeginning or the end of the story. As an aside, draw students’ attentionto the fact that at the end of the story it is not clear who had assumedthe jobs of vacuuming the carpets and washing the clothes. Discusswith students who should do these jobs.

Introducethe story

Debriefthe story

Re-read story

Preview book


Sharing jobs at home

Jobs Mother Father Sons

Wash dishes ✔ ✔

Make the beds ✔

Vacuum the carpets

Wash the clothes

Iron the clothes ✔

Cook the meals ✔ ✔ ✔

Fix the car ✔

➤ Ask students to suggest the factors they would consider in decidingwhich household jobs should be done by each family member. Helpthem think about the criteria for assigning household tasks by posingobviously unsound suggestions such as the following:

• What is wrong with making one person do everything?

• What might be wrong with deciding that the youngest familymember should fix the car?

• What would be wrong with asking a tiny baby to cut up thevegetables with a sharp knife?

Guide students in recognizing the following criteria for allocatinghousehold tasks:

• should be fair (not too much or too little for anyone);

• person is able to do it (what people can do or could learn to do);

• is safe for the person to do (what people can do without being hurtor feeling afraid).

Write the key words (e.g., fair, able to and safe) on chart paper.

➤ Announce to the class that you are trying to decide whether or not toassign jobs to specific students. You would like the class to help youdecide if your choices are good ones. Direct students to indicate a“thumbs up” if giving the student the job would meet each of theagreed-upon conditions, and a “thumbs down” if it would not meeteach condition. After each example listed on the following page, askstudents three questions: “Would (student’s name) be able to do it?”“Would it be safe for him/her to do it?” and “Would it be fair to makehim/her do it?” Alter the order of these questions so that the obviouslyunmet criterion is raised last for each proposed assignment.

data chart

Identify criteria

criteria forsharing workload

Practiceapplying criteria


Proposed assignment Obviously unmetcriterion

• What if I gave (student’s name) the job of not faircleaning up a mess made by (differentstudent’s name)?

• What if I gave (student’s name) the job not able to do itof moving my desk to another room?

• What if I asked (student’s name) to get a not safebook from the very top shelf but he wouldhave to stand on top of boxes thatcould easily fall?

➤ Announce that next session, students will decide the household choresthat members of an imaginary family should be carrying out. But to dothis, the class will need a list of the jobs required to maintain a home.Each student’s “homework” is to think of two household chores.

Session Two

➤ Ask students to share with the class their two household chores. Downthe side of a piece of chart paper or the chalkboard, list these jobs. Ifneeded, add jobs from the Piggybook.

➤ Ask students to pretend that they are part of an imaginary family. Theyare to decide how the identified list of household tasks should beshared among family members. Introduce the family: Me (the stu-dent), Father, Mother, Big Brother and Little Sister. If you wouldprefer a less traditional family composition, substitute members byreplacing, for example, a parent for an aunt or a grandfather. Assuggested below, create a chart by listing the five family membersacross the top. Initially, focus on the two criteria of “able to” and“safety.” Explain that not everyone in the family is able to do all of thejobs safely. For example, the Little Sister may not be able to mow andrake the lawn but, even if she is only four years old, she may be able tohelp set the table safely. For each job, discuss with students whichfamily members are able to do the task safely. Place a check mark inthe appropriate columns. Make it clear that students are simply identi-fying who could do the job safely, not who will have to do the job.

Applyingcriteria

Anticipatenext class

List family jobs

knowledge ofhousehold tasks

Introduceimaginary family

knowledge offamily abilities


Who is able to do these family jobs safely?

Jobs Me Father Mother Big LittleBrother Sister

Wash dishes

Dry dishes

Cook meals

Set table

Clear table

Dust the furniture

Vacuum the floor

Wash clothes

Iron clothes

Fold laundry

Cut lawn

Rake lawn

Take garbage out

Feed pets

Make beds

➤ After recording each family member’s suitability for the identifiedtasks, invite students to consider how they might decide who shoulddo any particular task. Point out that more than one person meets thetwo criteria for each job. Discuss whether it is fair to expect those whocan do all of the jobs to carry them out. If needed, remind students ofthe unfairness of expecting the mother to do everything in the storyPiggybook). Discuss how the class might decide who should be as-signed different jobs. Suggest several options for students to consider:

• Would it be better if Big Brother or you had the job of taking out theheavy garbage can?

• Would it be better if Big Brother or you had the job of cleaning upyour toys in your room?

Help students see how they might fairly allocate jobs among familymembers (e.g., assign jobs to members who are best able to do thejob safely provided it is not unfair to expect them to do it).

Introduceallocating the task

knowledge ofabilities

data chart


Blackline Master #1Session Three

➤ Invite students to imagine that they have been asked to help thisimaginary family (or, if you prefer, their own family) decide how toallocate household chores. If you want students to use their ownfamily, suggest that each student identify five members even if thismeans, in the case of small families, adding relatives who may not beliving in the same house or, in the case of large families, leaving outsome family members. Introduce the critical task:

Determine how household jobs could best be shared amongfive imaginary (or actual) family members.

➤ Distribute an enlarged copy (11 x17) of Family jobs (Blackline Mas-ter #1) to each student. Explainthat five of the squares are forindividual members of the im-aginary or actual family. In-form students that in each ofthese five squares they areto record a family mem-ber’s name (role), the jobassigned to the personand the reason for as-signing that job. Stu-dents are then to drawa picture of that fam-ily member doingthe job. Remind students touse the criteria fair, able to do and safewhen making their choices and to consider whowould be the best person for each job. Encourage stu-dents to consult the class-developed chart for possible householdchores. Direct students’ attention to the sixth square on the bottomright of the paper. Point out that sometimes a job may be too big forone family member to do alone, but could best be done by a fewpeople working together. In the last square, students are to draw apicture of two or more family members sharing a job. Students shouldrecord the family members’ names, the job and the reason for assign-ing that job.

➤ When students have completed Blackline Master #1, ask several toshare them with the class explaining how their decisions satisfy thecriteria. Discuss students’ choices as a class. Pay particular attentionto the fairness of the tasks that students assign themselves.

Present thefirst challenge

Justifydecisions

fair-minded

Explainthe task

I Can

Mak

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Dif

fere

nce

10

The

Crit

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Nam

e:__

____

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Blac

klin

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aste

r #1

Family jobs

Family member: _________________________

Job: _____________________________________________

Because: _____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family member: _________________________

Job: _____________________________________________

Because: _____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family member: _________________________

Job: _____________________________________________

Because: _____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family member: _________________________

Job: _____________________________________________

Because: _____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family members: _______________________

Job: _____________________________________________

Because: _____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family members: _______________________

Job: _____________________________________________

Because: _____________________________________

____________________________________________________


Blackline Master #2Session Four

➤ Invite students to begin to think about assuming a suitable family (orclassroom) task that they do not currently perform. Remind studentsof the unfairness of expecting some people to do more than their share.If your focus is on household chores, ask students to recall the jobsthey assigned to members of the imaginary (or actual) family and tothink of who does these jobs in their own families. If the focus is onclassroom chores, brainstorm with the class the many student tasksneeded for a classroom to run effectively. List these jobs on chartpaper or on the chalkboard. Ask the class to consider whether eachstudent could do more to help out in the classroom.

➤ If students agree to take on a new chore at homeor in the classroom, provide each student withan enlarged copy (11 x 17) of Jobs I can dosafely (Blackline Master #2). Ask students tothink of four new jobs that they might takeon (in school or at home) using the previ-ously developed chart for possible tasks.Students are to record the name of the taskon the line at the bottom of each box andcheck off if they are able or could learnto do the task safely. Students shoulddraw pictures of the tasks in the boxes.

➤ When students have recorded four possible jobs, they are ready tochoose the one that they will agree to assume. Present the secondchallenge:

Decide on a household (or classroom) job that would be mostappropriate for you to do.

Instruct students to write the selected job at the bottom of the page andexplain why it is the fairest job for them to take on (i.e., does notrequire too much or too little of the student). If students don’t see howlarge tasks can be fairly allocated, suggest that everyone might sharesome duties (e.g., everyone can contribute to a clean classroom bycleaning up around his or her space) and other duties may be taken onfor a short time (e.g., rotate the jobs each day or so). Ask students towrite or print their name on the bottom of the Blackline Master toconfirm that they will try to complete their identified chore. Beforethey start their new task, ensure that students obtain approval from

Introducetaking on a job

knowledge ofclassroom tasks

Selectpossible options

Present the secondcritical task

I Can Make a Difference

11

The Critical Thinking Cooperative

Name: ___________________________________________________

Blackline Master #2

Jobs I can do safely

❏ Safe❏ Able

❏ Safe❏ Able

❏ Safe❏ Able

❏ Safe❏ Able

The job I will do is ______________________________________________________________________________________________

I think this is the most fair job for me because __________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student commitment

Teacher/parent approval


Blackline Master #3

Blackline Master #4

their parents (if a household chore) or from you (if a classroom chore).Explain to students that in a week they will have an opportunity to talkabout how they have managed with their new job.

Session Five

➤ After a week or so, invite students to tell theclass about the job they chose and their successin carrying it out. Ask students to reflect uponthe difficulties in doing the job. If some stu-dents have been unsuccessful, you may wantto encourage them to select another job andtry again. Invite students to comment onhow their efforts have been received athome. You may want to use Star helper(Blackline Master #3) so that you or thechild’s parents may show appreciationfor each student’s efforts.

Evaluation

➤ Assess students’ ability to assignjobs that are reasonable and fairusing the rubric Assessing jobsharing (Blackline Master#4). The sources of evidenceand the three criteria forthis assessment are listedbelow:

• use students’ draw-ings on Family jobs(Blackline Master#1) and Jobs Ican do safely( B l a c k l i n eMaster #2) toassess their ability tojudge suitable chores;

• use the chores that students select for them-selves on Family jobs (Blackline Master #1) and

Assessjob choices

Follow-up oncommitment

I Can

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Dif

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13

The

Crit

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Assessing job sharing

Pre-recognition

Partial recognitionBasic understanding

Extended

Sophisticated

understanding

understanding

Judges suitableDoes not understand

Understands what isJudges the suitability

Judges the suitabilityJudges the suitability

chores

what is asked when

asked, but has difficultyof obvious chores for an

of obvious chores for anof obvious chores for an

invited to judge the

correctly judging theindividual, but cannot

individual and offersindividual and explains

suitability of a chore forsuitability of chores for

explain why they area very simple explana-

in own words why they

an individual.

an individual even insuitable.

tion why they are

are suitable.

very obvious situations.

suitable.

Recognizes theDoes not understand

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Recognizes a fair sharingRecognizes a fair sharing

fairness of anwhat is meant by a fair

asked, but has difficultyof chores in very obvious

of chores in obviousof chores across a range

assigned choresharing of chores.

recognizing a fair sharingsituations without

situations and offers aof situations and explains

of chores even in veryexplaining why they are

very simple explanationin own words why they

obvious situations.

fair.

why they are fair.

are fair.

Selects a

Unable to choose a

Chooses a personal choreChooses a predictable

Chooses a reasonableChooses a reasonable

personal chorepersonal chore to

to assume that does notpersonal chore without

personal chore and offers personal chore and

assume.

meet the criteria for aany explanation.

a simple explanation.explains in own words

sound choice.

why it is a sound choice.

Comments:

Nam

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____

____

____

____

____

____

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____

____

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____

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Blac

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I Can Make a Difference

12

The Critical Thinking Cooperative

Name: ____________________________________________________

Blackline Master #3

Star helperDear: ________________________________________________________

❏ ★★★

You are a star helper❏ ★★

❏ ★★★★

★★

★

You are a three-starYou are a two-star

You are a one-star

helper because youhelper because you

helper because you

have done your newhave done your new

tried to do your new

job perfectly.job even if it hasn’t

job even though you

worked out aswere not able to.

planned.The best thing about your help is _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One thing that might make helping even better is ____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your effort,___________________________________________________________________


Jobs I can do safely (Blackline Master #2) to assess their ability torecognize the fairness of an assigned task and their ability topersonally select a chore.

Reaching the “basic understanding” level on the rubric may be appro-priate for many primary students.

References

Browne, Anthony. (1986). Piggybook. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.(ISBN 0-3994-88416-7)


Name: ____________________________________________________ Blackline Master #1

Family jobs

Family m

ember:

_________________________

Job:_____________________________________________

Because:_____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family m

ember:

_________________________

Job:_____________________________________________

Because:_____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family m

ember:

_________________________

Job:_____________________________________________

Because:_____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family m

ember:

_________________________

Job:_____________________________________________

Because:_____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family m

embers:

_______________________

Job:_____________________________________________

Because:_____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Family m

embers:

_______________________

Job:_____________________________________________

Because:_____________________________________

____________________________________________________


Name: ___________________________________________________ Blackline Master #2

Jobs I can do safely

❏ Safe ❏ Able ❏ Safe ❏ Able

❏ Safe ❏ Able ❏ Safe ❏ Able

The job I will do is ______________________________________________________________________________________________

I think this is the most fair job for me because __________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student commitment Teacher/parent approval


Name: ____________________________________________________ Blackline Master #3

Star helper

Dear: ________________________________________________________

❏ ★★★

You are a star helper ❏ ★★

❏ ★

★★★ ★★ ★

You are a three-star You are a two-star You are a one-starhelper because you helper because you helper because youhave done your new have done your new tried to do your newjob perfectly. job even if it hasn’t job even though you

worked out as were not able to.planned.

The best thing about your help is _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One thing that might make helping even better is ____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your effort,

___________________________________________________________________


Assessing job sharing

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Name: ___________________________________________________ Blackline Master #4

sample critical challenge doing our share

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